DRUM PACKS
Break Vault is a wide ranging, eclectic collection of Hip-Hop Drum Breaks, loops, fills, sounds, and performances by stage & session drummer Max MacVeety and his long time collaborator, producer Headnodic. In this pack you get the best of the best breaks via recordings that span over 25 years.
Whenever recording at a top notch, analog, multitrack studio, the duo would say "let's track one for the break record". While on tour, sound checking for a show in a Po-dunk Nebraska bar they would grab 2 mics and a DAT machine and say "let's track one for the break record". In a filthy kitchen…, an arena in Colorado, theater in Osaka, under a bridge in mid-city LA, in a concrete drainage pipe next to a dog park in Oakland, just about anywhere that had the right acoustics, gear, and/or vibe that would assist in their search for the perfect beat…, they would "track one for the break record". These recording sessions became the percussive backbone for the likes of MF Doom, Del, Gift of Gab, Zion-I, Damian Marley, DJ Shadow and central to the sound of their own group Crown City Rockers (formerly known as Mission:). Well, Headnodic decided to stop being so damn greedy and finally open the vault to share some of the most stellar moments of this expansive musical catalog. What was once a private stash (shared only amongst their Crown City Rockers band mates) is now available to you. It's just the tip of the iceberg, but a painstakingly selected cream of the crop type tip to say the least. This collection perfectly highlights the variety of soundscapes and patterns that made their collaborations such a propulsive musical force. DJs looking for grizzly vintage sounding funk breaks, it's here. Producers looking for clean tight pockets, it's here. Listeners who just love the sound of a grade A+ session drummer tracked and mixed with precision, artistry, and taste... It's all right here.
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
MUSIC PRODUCTION
PHOTOS
Max graduated from Berklee School of Music, which equipped him with a lot of the how of drumming and music, but the why was firmly in place long before that. He is a product of The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, where creatives of all types have long found a temporary escape or permanent oasis. One such creative is his father, a guitarist and bandleader who got Max playing and listening to a wide variety of music practically from birth. The soundtrack to Max’s childhood was designed to make people dance, make them think, or both, with heavy doses of The Three Kings (Albert, Freddie, and B.B.), Public Enemy, James Brown, and Fela Kuti.
While at Berklee, Max studied jazz, fusion, and Afro-Cuban styles, but none of these musical languages felt like his native tongue. He reconnected with Hip-Hop and realized it was the dance/social movement of his country and his generation. He dove in and with provident timing, the opportunity to join the acclaimed Hip-Hop group Crown City Rockers brought Max to Oakland, CA. He played with Crown City for eleven years, touring internationally (sharing billings with Talib Kwali, Common, Mos Def, Jurassic 5, and many more of his Hip Hop idols), and recording two albums. Max also made the most of his time on the vibrant and seminal Oakland Hip Hop scene, forming Skins and Needles with DJ Zeph. This duo became the backing band for MC and producer Lyrics Born, with whom Max continues to tour and record.
Max relocated to Los Angeles in 2011 and joined Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe in 2013. This re-immersed him in the funk, soul, and jazz styles he had previously explored, and he melded them with the deep Hip Hop tradition in which he had become so well-versed. He spent two years touring with KDTU, highlighted by performances on the Jam Cruise, at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, and Jungle Jam in Costa Rica.
Max has continued to tour with Lyrics Born, and his extensive experience and creative distinction have served as calling cards for L.A.-based freelance work. This has included projects with That Poppy, Latyrx, P-Funk bassist RonKat Spearman, and guitarist DJ Williams. He has recorded with several Hip-Hop Producers including G Koop, Jake One, and Amp Live, and his drumming can be heard on the Rick Ross single 3 Kings-Feat. Dr. Dre and Jay-Z, Lyrics Born’s Everywhere at Once, Jake One’s White Van Music, and much more.
After years of collaborating as a sideman, Max has taken the helm of his own production studio, Bunkhouse Recordings, assuming greater command of his musical path and helping others forge theirs. As both a physical space and a network of musicians, producers, and creatives, Bunkhouse is doing everything from workshopping songs to recording full-length albums to developing social media strategy.
SHows/gigs
Friday May 17th The Dresden-Los Feliz- with Addy Baddy Funk Trio
Sunday May 19th Paradise Gardens-Disney Anaheim-with Denean’s Soul Foundation
Thursday May 30th The Rhythm Room-DTLA- with Rain Bisou
Sunday June 2nd Tantalum-Long Beach- with QB Smith
Friday June 7th Tantalum-Long Beach- with VJ Rosales
Sunday June 9th Tantalum-Long Beach- with Addy + Mer
Sunday June 16th Paradise Gardens-Disney Anaheim-with Denean’s Soul Foundation
Sudnay June 30th Tantalum-Long Beach- with QB Smith